Monday, October 31, 2011

Saturday, October 15, 2011

We're in Valparaiso, Indiana - "investing" in our marriage and other loves like golf, music, used bookstores, coffee shops, Amarone - the list goes on and on. There are just so many good things about this life isn't there?
We are drawn to this place in particular, 8 hours from home, to attend a concert at the Valparaiso Nazarene Church, one of the stops in a ten week Songs & Stories tour through the USA by Steven Curtis Chapman along with Josh Wilson and Andrew Peterson.
*sigh*
It was SOOOooo good. Man! Was it GOOD.
But I have to go to sleep first before I launch headlong into a recap. I have to golf tomorrow with my hubby and I want to beat him. On the scorecard that is. That's what I meant of course.
Here's a few snapshots we managed to snag tonight...

This dude below with the cool hat played so many different instruments, he boggled the senses with his multi-talent. His cello playing alone was enough to render one weeping - it was 'plugged' and the sound of it resonated so deep I felt it rumbling in my chest. (We were in row 4:)

This Synthesizer man (pictured below) is Ben Shive, trusty sidekick to Andrew Peterson - shows up on all his albums including a soon to be released kids album called Slugs & Bugs Vol. 3 So much fun to watch in action. That little blue thing at his elbow is a teeny miked xylophone (like a Fisher Price toy!) that peeled out sound like church bells.

A long shot down the centre aisle of tonights venue.

These pic's tell a certain story about Daddy's Cinderella - perhaps I'll share that story tomorrow when I'm feeling a little less raw. There's a version of this song on Youtube as well. I'll post that tomorrow too. Tomorrow. What am I saying? It IS tomorrow already and I have a score to settle on some nearby fairways that require a good nights sleep! *sigh*

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Announcing the 'early' arrival of Kaelan Eli - the stunningly adorable new life that has just increased the world population by one - swiftly changing the status of every single family member to which he is connected and enlarging hearts to dangerous proportions.

Welcome to our world you wonderful little world rocker.

Like many before you, you are born to a specific plan and purpose. May you grow to be as beautiful inside as you are right now on the outside.

But listen up now. We've brought in your cousin James (otherwise known as J.B.)

for comment on this extraordinary event...

Well, there you have it - limited vocabulary and all.

Cousin James is almost four months ahead of you in this family scenario - and he is obviously pleased

(it's written all over his face) that you have finally made your appearance and that you are (quite clearly)

“In friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another…the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting–any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” can truly say to every group of Christian friends, “Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.” The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others."

C.S.Lewis

(see also Acts 17:26-28)

"It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."